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This may be the most abused, most misinterpreted Confucius saying. Music is the second of Confucius' six subjects in education.

Quote:

The Six Arts formed the basis of education in ancient Chinese culture. During the Zhou Dynasty (1122–256 BCE), students were required to master the "liù yì" (六藝) (Six Arts):Rites (禮)Music (樂)Archery (射)Charioteering (御)Calligraphy (書)Mathematics (数)

For example: Tune A3->A2Tune C3->A2 from narrow side, until there is marginal beat. The octave is ready.

After tuning the octaves, test by 10ths, they are nice and consistence. Test by chords, the voice is open.

OMG, some chords are sour. Actually some thirds out of control. Still take some more time to practice. The pin setting is next target.

Why its easy to crack? I found that a very slight crack in A3-A4 octave, the crack is enlarged in octaves. Fortunately, its easy to amend. Its easy to locate the crack.

Aflredo didn't tell me the procedure explicitly. Yesterday instruct me to tune the octaves, tune the fifth marginal narrow. After hours practice octaves, I get what you said. You seems a great teacher who never give explicit instruction, just let the student to discover it. How amazing.

I had asked Issac why call it pre-tuning instead temperament. Issac didn't give me an answer. Its better to let me discover the answer. After days of practice, I try to sum up my impression of CHAS.

For CHAS doesn't have temperament concept as ET do. In ET tuning, tune and fine tune temperament octave, then extend to octaves. Use this concept in CHAS is disaster.

In CHAS, all 88 notes is a temperament. Pre-tune A3-A4. When the progressions near OK, tune octaves. If fifth and octave cannot reconcile, there is a crack. Amend the crack.

Good night.

Hello Weyan, I like your comments there..

Sorry about the pre-tuning, it is a mean to anticipate the instrument settling, it uses the way the piano is reacting to more tension, that is why intervals are enlarged more than what is expected in the end.

When using that process , at each tuning you developp a feel for the settling of the piano, something that is computed by the ETD in PR mode and then be done by ear (you gain a better knowledge of the process, which differs in the bass and the high treble, hence the strip muting of only the mediums and the beginning of the treble.

It oblige the tuner to learn something new in terms of pitch appreciation but provide a way to work in one (longer) pass.

Thank you for your writings, that is refreshing.

I will listen later to your records but the little bit I heard let me say : "that is yet better than the last time..."

I recorded me unreasoning and correcting a vertical while going from 445 to 442 Hz (I forget to record since I finished the "pre tuning" ) I should edit the file as it is long (1 hour) because I work on tone quality , that slow the process.

A3-D4: about 2 bps, too wide A#3-D#4: about 3.5 bps, too much, B3-D# is a bit sour, you were correctB3-E4: almost Ok C4-F4: almost just (beat-less), you were correct C#4-F#4: about 8 bps, too muchD4-G4: about 2.5 bps, too muchD#4-G#4: about double the above, too much, you were correctE4-A4: nice, a bit slow

Your base:

A3-A4: good, a bit shy, make it wider, you can always get it down (with a forte blow?)A3-D4: perhaps wrong side?D4-A4: too moving, wrong side?A3-E4: nice!E4-A4: shy, weak, make it more nervous;

You noticed C#-G# beating, very good. It is beating because it is a very narrow 5th.

You can look at that in two ways:

- G# is too low from just (in pitch); in this case you raise G# closer to almost-just 5th;- C# is too high from just (in pitch); in this case you lower C# (closer to almost-just 5th);

I noticed the 4th C#-F# non-beating (it is too just): in this case if you lower C# you can adjust (at least) two intervals: C#-G# gets (correct) wide and C#-F# gets less narrow (less beating - closer to just).

Please notice the chain of effect (events?): look at point 2 (A#3-F4), C#-F (as a M3) is Ok; if you lower C# you have to (must) lower also F.

In general, that is what you need to develop in time, the ability to visualize the chain of effects for every move.

In general, evaluate the effect of each move and try to improve (at least) two intervals with one move.

Always ask yourself: what happens (to the other intervals) if I modify this interval? You can do also this exercise (*) in abstract, even reasoning with yourself, without moving anything.

Regards, a.c.

(*) Edit: so doing, you will be able to draw the "intervals relation map".

- . - . - . -

Down to your recent posting,

The base:

A3-A4: too still, it want that to be wider, you want to hear a growing slow movement after 1.5/2 seconds, A3 down or A4 up;A3-E4: too narrow,E4-A4: OkA3-D4: too close to just (no beat)D4-A4: too close to just (no movement)

..."Issac had send me the tuning procedure. After tuning F#4 from B3, compare sixths as suggest in the chart. I don't know how to use sixths."...

I evaluate the first 6th available, A3-F#4, because it tells me (only by my own relative sensation) how the FBI curve is being shaped, how it originates right at the beginning.

I want that 6th to be fast but pleasant, tense but not too nervous, not sour, inspiring-tense, inclined-tense, joy-tense, hope-tense, proposal-tense, encouraging-tense, it must recall proud and best intensions, it must smell like believed-deserved success, like true emotion. Of course, this is what that 6th can evoke me, but you can start understanding what it would evoke you, trying to relate your other senses and your power of abstraction.

From the sequence flowchart you will see that after A#3-F4... I tune G4, obviously from D4; then C4, which has to work all around, as a M3 (C4-E4), as a 5th and 4th. The reason why I do not tune C4 from F4, and G4 from C4, is that I prefer to go back to my base, by using D4 as a reference, in the idea that I can reduce multiple (previous) approximations. It also gives me the feeling of "meeting" F4 while coming from the "other" direction, as that is for me the correct way to shape a whole, two parts that join together.

..."This is today's tuning. Need to improve hammer skill. I found its difficult to move a hairy little. Pin setting is still big trouble."...

I think you are right, hammer skill takes time… for wide intervals, use the forte blow for "hairy little" moves, so you can also stabilize your centre string; for narrow intervals, first get to just (from above), then play a forte blow, so the fifth gets narrow and (hopefully) more stable.

1 - see project, I compared C4 4th and 5th;2 - yes, D#4 is too high (in pitch), make D#4-G5 very similar to E4-A4;3 - yes, F4 wants to go down

Very good Weiyan, today I have to stop here. In general, start spotting the worse interval, like C4-E4, and relax your ear… I think you can hear a lot now and you need some (physiological) time to settle your perceptions deep down and order your actions. Soon you will be able to compare 6ths too and choose which geometry you want to "play"... then it gets even nicer.

C4-E4: improved, make it a little faster, C#4-F4: improved, it is still a bit sweet D4-F#4: improved, D#4-G4: Not improved, a bit salty/sour, check D4-G4… too wide…

E4-G#4: improved progression with F4-A4 F4-A4: improved

Your base (25th june):

A3-A4: Ok (to start with), it is a little wide, you would remember this during your tuningA3-D4: too wide, if you put down D4, you put down also A#3, check A#3-F… too narrow, so you can put down A#3D4-A4: Ok, because D4 and A4 are both high (in pitch)A3-E4: OkE4-A4: Ok, little wide, but you remember A4

C4-E4: improved, make it a little faster, C#4-F4: improved, it is still a bit sweet D4-F#4: improved, D#4-G4: Not improved, a bit salty/sour, check D4-G4… too wide…

E4-G#4: improved progression with F4-A4 F4-A4: improved

Your base (25th june):

A3-A4: Ok (to start with), it is a little wide, you would remember this during your tuningA3-D4: too wide, if you put down D4, you put down also A#3, check A#3-F… too narrow, so you can put down A#3D4-A4: Ok, because D4 and A4 are both high (in pitch)A3-E4: OkE4-A4: Ok, little wide, but you remember A4

Bad good luck happened. My phone became brick last Saturday, so I have chance to change for a Windows phone. The computer is infected so I had chance to show off my computer ability to my son. I can tune a piano only two thirds not correct in two weeks intensive learning.

About the base, those intervals are very similar to the other recording. This time I try to be more precise:

A3-A4: Ok (to start with), it is a little wide, about 1 beat every 2 sec., get the feeling that it is opening/swelling after 2 sec., no real beating… A3-D4: too wide, that is about 2 bps, try to make it 1 bpsD4-A4: Ok, because D4 and A4 are both high (in pitch)A3-E4: Ok... careful because it tends to be too narrowE4-A4: Ok, little wide, but you remember A4

In the next days I'll be traveling for work, so we will have to wait for sometime. In the meantime, enlarge your mid-octave and develop your ear for no-beating 12ths, the first being A3-E5. Make octaves very very similar, they do open "more", chromatically progressive, but... very very slowly. Make sure that intervals are on the right side, and do not rush with your hammer, first focalize on the beat, then move your hammer.

You are doing well (in a short time); work "in time" Weiyan, and enjoy your breathing and your sounds.